


Marigolds and Music

by DarkMindsAlike



Category: Sally Face - Fandom, Sally Face AU - Fandom
Genre: Dia De los Muertos AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26795197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkMindsAlike/pseuds/DarkMindsAlike
Summary: Larry was raised with the pictures, the marigolds, and the idea that your ancestors are watching over you. When Sal, the boy with blue hair who moved in on the 3rd floor and completely rocked his world, told Larry ghosts were real, and then proved it, Larry came to be unnerved by what was once his favorite holiday. Then the night came. He was lighting the candles on the ofrenda when he heard a voice behind him. "S-son?"
Relationships: (Sally Face) Sal Fisher/Larry Johnson, Diane Fisher/Henry Fisher, Lisa Johnson/Jim Johnson, Sally/Larry
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Larry remembers asking his mother about it when he was younger. “Mama why do we celebrate this?” She smiled, lighting more candles,” Lar Bear, this is part of your heritage. This is a day when the wall between our world and the spirit world becomes thinner, and they can return to us. We celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, we celebrate their memory. Like this picture here!” She points to an older picture in a frame of an older woman and an older man next to her, between them was Larry, smiling. He could only have been a year old,” this is my mama and papa. She passed on not soon after this picture was taken. Papa wasn't here for much longer. But with these pictures, and this celebration, their memory lives on, as they live on inside of us!” When he was eight or nine, sure, he loved it. The thought that his family was still around was amazing for a kid who didn’t really get to meet them. As he got older, Larry still celebrated, but understood less and less why he did. After all, he didn't even believe in ghosts at this point. Now, at the age of nineteen, he’s the one lighting the candles while Lisa is out for the night. He grumbled to himself, struggling to get the lighter to click,”why is this my job. Nobody comes back or anything. Why do we even do this still?” Then he stopped, something felt warm, and bright. This wasn’t one of the usual Addison apartment ghosts. The hand on his shoulder scared him equally. He tensed as the hand pulled him around and into a full hug. Larry didn’t even have time to react when the ghost let loose a single, shaky word,” Son?”


	2. A Picture’s Worth

Larry sat on the couch, opening a soda pop to hear the crisp, relaxing click of caffeine and sugar. He opened his phone, checking it one last time. The green screen lit up, flashing at him,” 2 New Messages.” Larry flipped open his phone, Lisa and Sally Face. He checked Sally's voicemail first,” Hey! Todd and I are working kinda late tonight, man. You and Lisa can light the candles without me, and I'll be down in a couple of minutes. See you at 7:00. Promise Larry Face!” Larry sighed, checking the clock. It was 7:10. He looked back to his phone, opening the voicemail from his mom,” Heya Lar Bear! I know normally I’m home by now, and I already told you I would be somewhat late, but I’ll be home by midnight I promise. This repair job at the High School is really giving me some problems, but they said they’d pay triple if I finished it tonight. You and Sally light the candles without me, ok boys? I love you both! And I’ll see you later tonight.” Larry clicks the phone closed, already annoyed.

He hated this holiday now more than ever. When he was little, the idea of his family watching over him was so cool, but now that he’s older, and he realizes ghosts are real, and all around terrifying, it wouldn’t settle in his stomach right. He rifled through his pockets looking for his lighter, finding it and lighting the candles, mumbling about how unfair it was he had to do this alone. When he reached the final candle on the ofrenda, he clicked the lighter, and it sparked. He tried it again, and it wouldn’t light. He kept clicking the lighter over and over again, and it just wouldn’t work, his annoyance and grumbling skyrocketing,” Why do i have to do this alone? I’m probably the one that believes the least out of us all and I’m getting tired of the stupid candle-” He stopped, the candle was lit. He didn't even look around when a calming warmth spread through the room. This wasn’t a regular Addison Appartment’s ghost, and he could tell. He tensed as a hand landed on his shoulder, and pulled him around into a surprisingly tight hug. Larry closed his eyes, prepared for this to be a new demon, and he was the first victim, but he was instead met with a tired, shaking voice, and a single world that shattered the solid ground he was standing on,” Son?” 

Larry didn’t move. He couldn’t move. He couldn't open his eyes for fear that this dream would only be that, a dream. He didn’t want to believe that it was real.Instead he just nodded, hugging the man back. It was him, right? It had to be! But he was gone. Sally told him that already. His dad was dead. Jim Johnson had died to the Cult of D.O.G. when Larry was little. Then it hit him. His mom didn’t believe Jim Johnson was dead, she thought he just walked out, so she never let Larry added his picture. After Sal told him the truth, Larry went to the treehouse, grabbing a picture of him from one of the boxes, and placing it carefully in the back of another picture. It could be him. In that moment, Larry opened his eyes, seeing straight through to the ground,” H- Holy shit balls, man!” Larry staggered a little, backing up,” D-Dad..?” He stares the man in the eyes, taking everything else in slowly,” Dad.. you’re here?” The ghost in front of him smiled, his warm golden glow filling the room. It brought an odd sense of ease to Larry,” So it is you, Larry! I just knew it! You looked too much like your mother to not be my son.. And man, have you grown up. Let me get a good look at you!” The ghost tilts his head to the side, then to the front, and backs up, looking him in the eye,” Larry, you’ve grown up to be a fine young man.” Larry took it all in. 

This is his dad, albeit a translucent version with glowing, golden eyes and a gold shine seeming to echo around his entire person. Jim Johnson was slightly shorter than him, but was sturdy, and well built. He stood strong, but it slowly faded out around his shins, his feet not even there. Larry just stared at Jim, his eyes wide and jaw hanging. Jim’s glowing hand closed it, chuckling,” Larry, close your mouth. You’ll catch flies.” Larry paces in front of the couch where Jim was sitting,” H-how? You’re a ghost. Ghosts can’t touch people, so how did you- and where did you come from? Sal said you were some all powerful something or another! And why now? Why did you come now? When mom wasn’t here? You could’ve told her the truth!” Jim stands,” And I still can, Larry, but we should wait for Sally. Diane and I have a lo-” “D-Diane..Diane Fisher? A-as in.. his mom? She’s here?!” Jim nodded once,”Yeah.. She and I have had a lot of time to talk.” Larry heard the ding of the elevator, walking over to his front door. Jim stands to follow, Larry stopping him,” No. Wait there. I need to talk to him first, ok?” Jim sits back down, talking openly to the air next to him,” Yes, Diane. I believe so.” 

Larry walks out into the hall, his face trying to hide all that had happened so far. The shorter blue haired boy hugged him,” Hey, Larry Face!” Larry hugged him back,” Hey, Sally Face! So, do you remember the story my mom told us about the ofrenda helping spirits to come back?” Sally nods, then freezes, eyes wide,” Yea, I remember-” He walks over to the door, looking at Larry,” Who is it?” Larry chuckles nervously, flipping the long strands of hair out of his face“There’s actually more than one.. You should just go see for yourself. I’ll wait out here if you want?” Sally nods,” Y-yeah.. Thanks Larry. I’ll be back in a minute.” Sally opens the door to the apartment, the door slowly swinging shut behind him. He looked at the ofrenda, smiling at the picture of his mother, then he saw something move. The familiar looking spirit waved, chuckling,” I assume Larry told you who else was here?” Sally shakes his head, Jim sighing,” I’ll leave you two alone to discuss then. Is he out in the hall?” Sally nods, watching Jim fade out through the door. 

He looked at the ofrenda, smiling at the marigold surrounded frame of his mother,” Hey, Mom. I don’t know if it’s you who came with Mr. Johnson or not, but I want to believe it is. It’s Sal. I know that I look a lot different than before, I look more like a monster than a man, but i promise you, it’s me.. And I want to thank you for saving my life.. Cause you did. The dog, the one that attacked us.. I went back to look for it armed with a stick. I thought I could take it, maybe feel better.. Maybe then I could feel like your death wasn’t meaningless. I just hope what I did with my life makes up for what you gave for it.” He slowed, feeling something on his back. The hand moved to his shoulder, and an arm encircled him, standing next to him, the blonde woman smiles,” Sal, I love you, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when the time came, but I’m here now, my handsome son.” He hugged her, face curling into her, he cried,” Mom..” He sniffled, catching the scent of the room.

The room smelled of Marigolds.


	3. The Smell of Marigolds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are some spoilers if you've not played/watched chapter 5 in its entirety! You have been warned!

Sally buried his still covered face into the side of his mom, sobbing. He couldn’t believe it. His mother was here, in front of him, speaking to him. She was holding him, and comforting him. She took the side of his prosthetic, lifting up his face,” Sally, I’m so proud of who you’ve become. And you’re such a great young man. Let me see-” Sally pulls her hand away from the mask,” N-no. Mom, please. I don’t want you to see, please.”She smiles, nodding,” Sally Face, I’m your mother. Besides, you think I haven't been following you around? I just want to get a good look at my son.” He sighs, dropping her hand, tensing and closing his eyes, fearing the worst. He felt two hands pull off the clasps to the mask, and lower the mask away from his mangled face. A soft hand tilted his chin up, a huffing chuckle escaped her. Diane placed a soft kiss on his forehead,” My handsome son. You look so much like your father when he was your age. Why would you hide such a beautiful face?” He opens his eyes, tears streaming down the side of his face,” M-mom.” She pulls him into a hug,” I mean what I said, my beautiful blue ray of sunshine.” Sal wiped away a tear, “I- I was so scared that you would hate me..” She holds up his face,” How could I ever hate you? This wasn’t your fault. You were a child, and he had a shotgun-” Sal’s eyes widened, his glass eye popping out of its socket,” he?! As in a human.. H-had a shotgun.. So it wasn’t.. It wasn’t a dog?” His mother sighs, smiling at him softly,” Jim and I have a lot to talk about with you boys..”

Sal sat on the couch while Larry leaned across it. The tension in the room was dense enough it could’ve been sliced through with a knife. Larry started,” S-so how come you guys can touch us, man? Like Megan and Mrs. Sanderson can’t touch us.” Jim looks at the pacing Diane, clearing his throat,” I can take this one. Due to the fact that we have an anchor, such as your memories, not to mention, our pictures being on the Ofrenda and the marigolds, and the candles, and the celebration, we have a much stronger connection to the physical world that they wouldn’t have. Also, did you say Megan? The little girl from the fifth floor? I knew her Mom and Dad!” Larry nods, looking to Sal, who likely hadn’t heard a word Jim just said. “So, why did you guys come back, dad?” Larry asked, paying careful attention to Sally and his mom. “Oh. We needed to talk to you guys about something, and we thought it would be better to hear it from us than anybody else..” The sound faded out around him, Larry focusing in on Sally entirely. There was something bothering him.

Sal followed his pacing mother with his eyes, palms rested firmly on his temples. Larry moves to sitting next to him, pulling him into a tight side hug,” And what happened?” Diane opens turns, making eye contact with Larry,” I-I told him…” “She told me that a guy in a dog mask tried to kill me with a shotgun, and that she stepped in front of the barrel to save my life..” Sally doesn’t move from the position he’s in. Larry looks up, eyes wide. Diane just nods, a sob escaping her,” I-I thought he remembered.. I didn’t know that they had altered his memories! Sal, let me explain..” She reaches out, her hand landing on his shoulder for him to bat it away,” P-please, just give me a second.. I just found out somebody tried to murder me, but missed an murdered my mother instead..” Larry pulls him into a tight hug, cradling his head, he mumbled,” ¿Que mierda? “ 

Larry plants his lips firmly on the top of Sally’s head,” Sal, I-I..” Sal picks up, planting a kiss on Larry’s cheek,” It’s ok, it’s just a lot to take in. I’m not mad, mom, I promise. Or anything like that, really. I’m just so confused. It was a man..” Diane nodded,” I can tell you what I do know for sure, if you’d like?” She sinks down onto the couch next to Sal, her arm circling around his shoulder. He nodded weakly,” That would help..” 

Diane let out a slow breath,” I guess I should start with that day, the picnic. Henry didn’t know my past, what my family and I had escaped from when I was younger.. And here, I had pretty much forgotten. I had let my guard down.. I was in New Jersey, they couldn’t get me there, or you.. Then you said something about a puppy, and ran off towards some random direction. I followed you, and I’m glad I did. When I found you, so had he.. The leader of the Cult of the Devourer of God. You were cornered, and he had the shotgun loaded, so.. I jumped, and landed in front of you when the gun went off. Kenneth never meant to shoot me, but he realized his mistake when he looked and saw me. He ran back to Nockfell.. I believe you know his son now?” Larry looks down,” Yeah, we know him. I hate that guy-” Diane cuts him off,” Poor boy got stuck there. He wouldn’t know right from wrong or up from down. His father is an.. Angry man.” Jim nods,” I agree with that Di, Travis just needs help, boys.” Sally grumbles,” So, you came back so that we would go easier on Travis?” Diane stops, shaking her head,” N-No, not at all. We had a different reason, honey. We came to warn you about-” She stopped as the doorknob jiggled, opening. Lisa walked in, tired, not even looking over at them,” Hi boys! I am beat! I hope you left food for me.” She filled a glass with water, taking a sip,” You boys sure are quiet! I hope i haven’t interrupted… anything-” She looked up, wiping some of the sweat and grease off of her face. She froze, eyes wide as the glass slipped from her hand, shattering as it hit the tile of the kitchen. Jim looks at her, raising a ghostly hand to give a nervous wave,” Hi, Lis.” Lisa’s eyes darkened as she spit one word at him,” You..”


End file.
